Church of Scientology May Have Spent as Much as $8 Million to Run Vague, Vaguely Depressing Super Bowl Ad

If in your gourmet-Buffalo-wing haze Sunday night, you thought you noticed a commercial that was disappointingly devoid of rowdy octogenarians, beer, cars, or celebrities, you were not hallucinating. There was at least one 60-second ad that boldly dismissed those sexy Super Bowl promo elements in favor of the kind of phlegmatic tonality you might see in an antidepressants commercial, along with the existentially probing voiceover that might accompany a Marines-recruitment ad. The proud generator of said spot (and, for some, 60 buzz-killing seconds): the Church of Scientology.

Unlike other commercials airing during the game, the ad—which is part of the organization’s “knowledge” campaign—was apparently not created especially for the Super Bowl. It has been available on the organization’s Web site and YouTube channel since November. In addition to its not being new, some critics have accused the promo of not being original, arguing that it is a clear derivative of Apple’s 1997 “Think Different” campaign. Business Insider, which gently describes the Church of Scientology as a group “repeatedly accused of essentially being a cult,” notes that the ad ran in several metropolitan markets including New York and Los Angeles.

Some outlets are reporting that the organization may have spent as much as $8 million to air the ad, which features a diverse assortment of attractive people staring at nothing in particular, rays of sunlight, books, outer space, and at least two sets of overgrown fingernails cradling a crystal ball. The only obvious identifier that the commercial is related to Scientology and not to a seasonal-depression disorder is a several-second bumper at the end that directs viewers to “scientology.org.”

A spokesperson for the organization noted that the Church of Scientology is “very happy with the interest that the ad has generated.” Also seemingly very happy with the ad is Bill Maher, who tweeted in jest on Sunday, “I saw an ad for scientology, i joined, and then Destiny’s Child reunited! That shit works - thanks, Tom Cruise!”